​Jul 30, 2026; Latrobe, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers safety Jaquan Brisker (3( participates in training camp drills at Saint Vincent College. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect The 2026 NFL season is on the horizon. And after weeks of discussions, predictions and analysis, we’ll finally get to see some of the year’s biggest Steelers stories thus far finally play out on the football field as Pittsburgh hosts the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. With that in mind, here are some of the biggest narratives Read & React will be monitoring this weekend: How will the new-look secondary perform? RB: There is a lot we still don’t know about the 2026 Pittsburgh Steelers, but the secondary might be where the most uncertainty lies. When I predicted which Steelers units would be most likely to finish in the NFL’s top 10 in the upcoming season, the pass defense was the hardest to get a read on.With a cornerback room made up of Joey Porter Jr., Jalen Ramsey, Jamel Dean, Asante Samuel Jr., Brandin Echols and Daylen Everette, there’s a legitimate argument that this group could be elite. But at the same time, it isn’t difficult to imagine scenarios that result in the Steelers dropping closer to their 29th-in-the-NFL ranking in passing yards allowed per game in 2025. There’s a lot that can go wrong, especially early in the season. Starting with Porter, who is expected to be the top name in the secondary this year, there’s a chance he doesn’t even play if he doesn’t receive an extension by kickoff. But assuming he does suit up, it’s worth noting Porter missed the bulk of summer on the Physically Unable to Perform list with a reported back injury, and never took a rep in the preseason as a result. Rust could be a factor early-on in his game. Most of my concern regards the safety room, however, which will be especially undermanned early in the season with starter DeShon Elliott opening the year on injured reserve. Veteran Rayshawn Jenkins is expected to start alongside Jaquan Brisker, but I’d expect a short leash and Ramsey to rotate in at safety as well sometimes to give the group some needed extra range. We haven’t seen much of free agent signing Jamel Dean this offseason, who has flown under the radar a bit this offseason despite having the makings of a high-end CB2. He wasn’t far behind Porter in most metrics in 2025, allowing a 63.1 passer rating when targeted and a 49.2% completion percentage for Tampa Bay. Rewatching the tape from last night, and already impressed with #Steelers CB Jamel DeanGB got the ball out fast, but Dean had a number of strong man reps against Packers WR Matthew Golden, his primary opponentShowed off his physical press and mirrored well too pic.twitter.com/wrjlz8ilmU— Bradley Locker (@Bradley_Locker) August 14, 2026Dean will turn 30 this season, meaning age is a concern but a Darius Slay-esque drop off in play isn’t expected this season. However, Dean’s availabil